Saturday, 28 January 2017

I am that immigrant, first a Green Card holder, and later a Citizen. The United States has been good for me, and to me. I am a Christian.

Now I worry for my fellow immigrants (who are legally here, with Green Cards or as Naturalised Citizens) and who are Muslims.

The apparently "off the cuff" Executive Order regarding immigrants from certain Muslim majority countries is creating ghastly ramifications, as identified by

* Many leaders of "high/tech/silicon valley" Companies know this.

* A former British Foreign Secretary who said (wisely) "you do not make immigration policy out of campaign slogans".

* A former U.S, Ambassador to both Mexico and Iraq (he served under George W. Bush [R], who laments that we are breaking solemn promises we made to those Iraqis who worked for and with the U.S.A.

* My personal friends who are (1) Immigrants, (2) Citizens and (3) American Muslims, in particular the Asghar family:.

Dear Asghar Family,I am honoured to know you. I am happy that you contribute so much to the United States. You are noble Citizens. You are faithful Muslims. For this I am grateful.I would hazard a guess that you are a wee bit afraid because of the anti-Muslim, dangerous and irrational feelings and actions which the President's Executive Order has stroked.God forbid that you should be in danger in this "land of the free, and home of the brave" simply and solely because of your religion.I will do my best to "have your backs"Your Christian friend,J. Michael Povey

Thursday, 26 January 2017

FOR EXAMPLE I took to my bed at about 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday 25th Jan. I awoke at 5:45 .a.m. this morning Jan 26th.

Sounds good eh?

But those hours were so restless.

1. My limbs have a mind of their own. I do not simply have restless leg syndrome. Both arms and both legs "jerk" like crazy, such jerking wakes me up.

2. I call out (nay yell) in my sleep. Those yells wake me up. Some of the yells are complete sentences. Some are all but incoherent words.

3. I laugh out loud in my sleep, and such laughing awakens me.

4. I worry in my sleep ( or in my restless waking periods). For instance last night I spent semi-somnolent times all worried because I could nor mentally locate three streets in the Bedminster area of my home City of Bristol, U.K. Where, I kept wondering, are Parson St., Phillip St., and Merrywood Road? As if it mattered!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Oh for a good night's sleep, measured not by hours, but by deep refreshment fot my body, mind, and soul.

Sunday, 22 January 2017

These women (and men) were marching for all of us. Their message was positive, important and utterly necessary.

They were Jewish, Muslim, and Christian women. They were atheist and agnostic women. They were black, brown and white. women. They were young and old, straight and gay women. They were Republicans and Democrats. They were "none of the above".

Their uniting message was utterly congruent with words from the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer:- it was "to respect the dignity of every human being".

Thus they marched for all of us.

Insofar as these marches were a protest against THE CHILD, it is because in his campaign, and now in the early days of his Presidency, he has miserably failed to respect the dignity of many human beings.The opposite is the case. His life and words have been intentionally disrespectful (and that's too mild a word) to those who have dared to cross him, and especially to women.

He has chosen to be petulant, untruthful and self referential. ( For example, see the Video of his visit to the CIA headquarters on 21st January.)His is not the way of faith for those who are Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, or Islamic, etc. etc.It is not the way of decency for those who have a religious faith as well as for those who are agnostic, indifferent to religion, or atheistic.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know many of the women who marched.

Here are the names of some of my friends who marched, I honour and respect them and their witness.

About Me

I am from a blue collar background in Bristol, England, and was educated in the days of the 11+ system.
I am one of nine children. My eight siblings live in England.
After school I was first a banker; then a seminarian; then an Episcopal Priest.
I trained for ordained ministry at St. John's College, Nottingham, U.K; and the University of Nottingham from which I was graduated with the degree Bachelor in Theology.
I had 30 years of parish ministry in Massachusetts. (Fitchburg, Chicopee, Pittsfield and Cambridge).
Now retired, I live in Sarasota, FL.
My mantra: - "There is no secular world".